Aerial Robotics in Inspection and Maintenance Operations - From Design to Deployment

Abstract

Aerial robots are becoming increasingly vital in inspection and maintenance operations, demonstrating advanced maneuverability for complex airborne tasks. These include visually examining electrical power line components, searching for cracks in pipelines at oil and gas facilities, and inspecting leading-edge erosion in wind turbine maintenance operations. Aerial robot technologies are revolutionizing high-altitude inspections and maintenance by utilizing onboard AI systems for detailed visual analysis and defect identification. They play a crucial role in high-risk environments, monitoring personnel safety with advanced sensors and enabling safe contactless interactions between humans and drones. Additionally, these robots are capable of performing direct physical tasks, such as delivering tools and conducting automated replacement operations. Despite their numerous advantages, they encounter challenges in development and control, necessitating precise navigation and operation within tight, unstructured spaces. A key focus is on ensuring safety, reliability, and autonomy, with designs that enable independent control of position and orientation in hard-to-access areas.

Important Dates & General Information

Interested authors looking to submit a paper for the upcoming session should prepare a document containing:

• List of authors, proposed paper title, and a brief abstract, and send it by January 19th, 2024, January 26th, 2024, through the email address icuas24session@googlegroups.com.

Authors will be notified about the decision and provided with further submission instructions by January 31st, 2024.

Authors of accepted papers should follow the submission guidelines for regular papers at ICUAS 2024 (https://uasconferences.com/2024_icuas/). The deadline for paper submission is the same as for regular papers. Papers submitted to special sessions will undergo the same review process as the regular papers and will appear in the main conference proceedings. At least 4 papers are expected for the Special Session. In the case fewer papers are received for a Special Session, they will be moved to the main track and the Special Session will be canceled. If the amount of accepted papers is more than 8, multiple session slots will be organized

How to submit

Papers must be submitted electronically for peer review through PaperCept by February 4th, 2024, February 11th, 2024: https://controls.papercept.net/conferences/scripts/start.pl. 

Please note that the deadline for submitting a contribution may be subject to extension. Since this website is not directly linked with the portal, always refer to the dates listed on PaperCept or the conference website at https://uasconferences.com/2024_icuas/ for the most accurate and current information.
In PaperCept, click on the ICUAS 2024 link “Submit a Contribution to ICUAS 2024”, then under “Type of Submission” choose “Special Session paper”. Finally, enter the code provided by the organizers in the “Code” field. All submitted papers must be written in English and present original research. The initial manuscript submission should range from 6 to 8 pages, including references. For the final submission, the manuscript should also be within 6 to 8 pages, with the option to extend up to 10 pages at an additional cost. All submissions will undergo a single-blind review process.